$40 for an in-game pet (merchant)

RealRobD

I bought the Collection: High Isle™ Collector's Edition + a renewing monthly subscription.
And yet I still have to shell out $40 for something I can get in WoW for very little in-game gold?

[edited for bashing]

lordspyder

Then don't buy it? I've had a sub for so many years, that I have an overload of crowns, and sometimes dump them on things like that, and that's ok for me. But it seems like it's too much for you, so don't buy it.

mekops_ESO

Pretty much a vanity assistant given the utter abundance of merchants in every place that counts.

bmnoble

Doesn't playing WOW require a sub just to be able to play the game?

ESO is buy to play, ESO's cash shop is filled with cosmetic and convenience items you don't need to buy any of it to play the game.

I bought the 2 original assistants with my subscription crowns, they were among the first purchases I made for convenience sake, they serve the purpose I paid for not going to buy the re skin versions though that is just a plain waste of money.

I have found them both far more useful than 90% of the stuff on the crown store, the vast majority of things I have got off the crown store over the years collect dust in collections the assistants I use almost every time I play the game.

There are bankers in every major city and merchants in most towns even some wandering the roads in zones, if you don't want to spend the money you just have to be prepared to ride a little further or use a wayshrine.

bmw

Then dont buy it. Its not like they are forcing you to buy it.

TaSheen

mekops_ESO wrote: »

Pretty much a vanity assistant given the utter abundance of merchants in every place that counts.

Not to mention all the "traveling" ones you find on the roads everywhere.

Dagoth_Rac

All of the in-game gold items in WoW are subsidized by the required subscription. In ESO, the subscription is not required, so convenience and luxury items generally go in the cash shop. ESO sub includes cash shop tokens ("crowns") that effectively make the basic cash shop items included in subscription. I don't purchase crowns and yet still get plenty enough crowns from subscription to afford the basic luxury items. I guess I can't get the crow merchant and the cat merchant and the robot merchant and the human merchant, etc., etc. But if you just want the basic conveniences, you'll accumulate the crowns to buy them over time.

Also, eventually there is not much to buy in game with gold. So if you join a trading guild and sell stuff, it is pretty easy to be up to your eyeballs in gold that you can use to buy cash shop items. (Basically, you give another player gold and they "gift" you a cash shop item).

It takes a bit of experience and expertise and play time, but you really don't have to ever fork over cash for anything but the Chapters and ESO+.

Kiralyn2000

Unnecessary convenience items always cost an arm and a leg. You can buy a can of soda from the hotel room minibar for $4, or you can get one for 50 cents down at the corner store. But you have to go out of the hotel to get it.

So yeah, if you want to skip the (very minor) inconvenience of finding an NPC merchant, you can pay a bunch of crowns for the assistant.

Personally, I don't think it's worth it. Luckily, nothing is forcing me to buy it. /shrug

vsrs_au

I agree it's too much. I could buy the standard ESO game for that price, so paying the same price just for an in-game merchant/pet is a bit inequitable.

TaSheen

I have plenty of disposable income so it didn't bother me to buy the banker and merchant on my first two accounts. I have a third account now, and will probably buy both for that account later this year. I pay the annual sub on my accounts so it's certainly doable - after making sure that I'm not charging the third account annual fee in a month when I have a bunch of other expenses.

Kiralyn2000

vsrs_au wrote: »

I agree it's too much. I could buy the standard ESO game for that price, so paying the same price just for an in-game merchant/pet is a bit inequitable.

Personally, I have no issue with in-game items that are totally unnecessary conveniences or luxuries, costing more than the game/DLC/expansions/etc. Stuff that people actually need, should be affordable; while $400 sneakers, $500 bottles of wine, and over-priced 'designer' pre-ripped jeans can gouge all they want. (ditto for in-game costumes, and things like these assistants).

Because no-one needs them. They're not required.

Hapexamendios

I find them convenient. Paid for them with crowns from ESO+. What I'm not going to do is pay for a different version of the same thing. That's what I'd call ridiculous.

Amottica

lordspyder wrote: »

Then don't buy it? I've had a sub for so many years, that I have an overload of crowns, and sometimes dump them on things like that, and that's ok for me. But it seems like it's too much for you, so don't buy it.

True. The assistants are not needed. I did buy a banker and merchant though it was with the crowns I collected from ESO+.

At that, the merchants can be purchased for a lot less than 40 USD for I think up to 40% off. Crowns go on sale twice a year and I bought my merchants on sale. Put the two sales together and the savings add up nicely.

Note, I do not buy crowns outside of what I get from ESO+.


And as another pointed out. A subscription is not required to play ESO. Purchasing all the DLCs released in a year costs significantly less than a monthly subscription for a year. They have to make that money somehow.

Browiseth

lordspyder wrote: »

Then don't buy it? I've had a sub for so many years, that I have an overload of crowns, and sometimes dump them on things like that, and that's ok for me. But it seems like it's too much for you, so don't buy it.

the "i bought them so it's okay" type of logic i see

DagenHawk

bmw wrote: »

Then dont buy it. Its not like they are forcing you to buy it.

Sorta reminds me of the guy who just spent $17,000.00 on a mobile game and started screaming that the Chest were basically boxes of drugs in a vending machine.....geeze have a little self control.

Jpk0012 wrote: »

[snip]

Ummm I don't think that is what he said bro and you're really getting worked up over nothing....

[edited to remove quote]

rpa

I got the cat merchant and crow banker with eso+ crowns. I had not bought assistants before because I disliked how human assistants of other people were getting in way in some situtions. It's a minor convenience I mostly do not need but occasionally nice. Better use to piled up crowns than most of the scraps they could not stuff in crates.

spartaxoxo

I think the assistants could probably be cheaper but at the same time, they are a very significant quality of life upgrade.

FeedbackOnly

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Unnecessary convenience items always cost an arm and a leg. You can buy a can of soda from the hotel room minibar for $4, or you can get one for 50 cents down at the corner store. But you have to go out of the hotel to get it.

So yeah, if you want to skip the (very minor) inconvenience of finding an NPC merchant, you can pay a bunch of crowns for the assistant.

Personally, I don't think it's worth it. Luckily, nothing is forcing me to buy it. /shrug

O.o where are you still seeing it for 50 cent. That same small can here is 1.25

FangOfTheTwoMoons

lordspyder wrote: »

Then don't buy it? I've had a sub for so many years, that I have an overload of crowns, and sometimes dump them on things like that, and that's ok for me. But it seems like it's too much for you, so don't buy it.

This does not change the fact that it is overpriced. This kind of thinking is exactly what's lead us into the situation we are in today as consumers. You're essentially defending a garbage business practice.

The game isn't even free to play and yet we have a membership you absolutely need if you are playing seriously, lootboxes, and a cash shop that's packed with QoL stuff that should be regular things in game (standard hair types, hair color and standard adornments are a perfect example of this). Let's not forget how Armory slots and outfit slots aren't account wide.

Unfortunately this is what we've had for years and it will never change, but defending this kind of monetization should never be a thing.

Narvuntien

I traded gold for someone to gift me a banker. Gold I was willing to lose just in case of course.

EdmondDontes

FangOfTheTwoMoons wrote: »

lordspyder wrote: »

Then don't buy it? I've had a sub for so many years, that I have an overload of crowns, and sometimes dump them on things like that, and that's ok for me. But it seems like it's too much for you, so don't buy it.

This does not change the fact that it is overpriced. This kind of thinking is exactly what's lead us into the situation we are in today as consumers. You're essentially defending a garbage business practice.

The game isn't even free to play and yet we have a membership you absolutely need if you are playing seriously, lootboxes, and a cash shop that's packed with QoL stuff that should be regular things in game (standard hair types, hair color and standard adornments are a perfect example of this). Let's not forget how Armory slots and outfit slots aren't account wide.

Unfortunately this is what we've had for years and it will never change, but defending this kind of monetization should never be a thing.

Principles and integrity matter. As does basic respect for customers. [snip]

[edited for baiting]

Xinihp

RealRobD wrote: »

$40 for an in-game pet [...] [snip]

You could substitute "$40 for an in-game pet" with "literally everything about the 21st century" and the statement would probably still be true.

[edited to remove quote]

Danikat

I agree that they're too expensive, but I also agree that none of the assistants are needed and most are a fairly minor convenience so if you don't think they're worth paying for you can easily get by without them.

I did eventually buy the banker cat, but I did it at a time when I had crowns I'd bought at a discount and the banker itself was discounted, between the two I got it for 40% off. I wouldn't buy any of the others because I'd find them even less useful than the banker so it's very unlikely they'll ever be cheap enough to seem worthwhile to me.

dmnqwk

If you examine items in a vacuum, you'll always be fooled.

You could've gone 'OH GOD I hate how I only get 19'800 crowns when you sub for a year because it's 200 short of buying the banker, dismantler, the armory assistant and the merchant'. Unless you pick them up during a sale, which happens enough that you could.

SammyKhajit

How about not turn on one another and focus on the pricing?

ZOS staff must be laughing their heads off at this infighting amongst players.

Snamyap

mekops_ESO wrote: »

Pretty much a vanity assistant given the utter abundance of merchants in every place that counts.

TaSheen wrote: »

Not to mention all the "traveling" ones you find on the roads everywhere.

There are surprisingly few merchants deep in public and private dungeons, and those are also the places with an abundance of drops and frequently used for grinding or farming.

(Yes, Blackheart Haven and a few others have merchants).

I do think they are expensive, but I do not regret saving up and buying them with my ESO+ crowns. They are a major convenience.

colossalvoids

Yeah ESO's monetisation is kinda off for a buy to play game with dlc's at a full fledged game price tag, at least for my taste and region. Those are also pretty needed same as armory slots etc. if you're treating the game more or less seriously and don't want your groups to wait for your porting back and forth every time you need to vendor or take/deposit something from a bank.

At this point with games it's like shouting at clouds passing by, we as a consumer are already lost. Wont be surprised we'll get some difficulty imbuers in couple of years 25$ each as a result of us asking for a difficult content, things changing rapidly.

Abelon

ESO's monetization model is certainly on the pricey side and I'm not sure that comparisons with games like WoW and FFXIV are as flattering as some here believe.

The sub here is on the expensive side, though of course you can argue it's not a must (but most crafters will tell you otherwise). Our "expansions" are pricier - see Endwalker (FFXIV), which is $40 and includes all previous expansions, against High Isle which is only an upgrade for $40. Our chapters also don't include as much, but that's a different topic. DLCs are also not included, so that's another part that's a separate purchase or a sub requirement.

Base game prices are always negligible no matter which established MMO you look at.

And then we get to the ingame store which is also pricey and contains loot boxes on top of everything. The merchant is a pretty unnecessary purchase, but there are better examples of "greed", like the fact that you need to buy appearance change token to change anything. No barber for gold in the game, nothing like that.

Oh an also there is hardly anything cool looking you can earn in the game itself, unless through events or the few endgame clears. Especially in comparison to the MMOs named above, which give you mounts, pets and appearance items for nearly every boss you kill.

Do want to point out that I like ESO and am not a fanboy of those other MMOs. But it's especially because I like this game, that I want it to improve.

etchedpixels

RealRobD wrote: »

I bought the Collection: High Isle™ Collector's Edition + a renewing monthly subscription.
And yet I still have to shell out $40 for something I can get in WoW for very little in-game gold?

It's an in game luxury aimed at people who play a lot and have cash.

If that's not you then do what all the streetwise kids do (and probably Ember ) which is at to walk into a delve or whatever, go to the end boss, kill it, hit L and enter CP imperial city. Sell off there, repair your gear, deconstruct, put stuff in your or guild banks then walk out of the IC exit. You'll be ported back just outside the delve or public dungeon, or you'll end up where you left off in overland. Apart from the special event days there is never a queue to IC, and you never leave the safe zone.

Costs zero, allows repair, purchase of items anywhere, has a complete set of crafting tables and the banker is a proper one who can access guild banks and guild sales.

etchedpixels

Abelon wrote: »

Oh an also there is hardly anything cool looking you can earn in the game itself, unless through events or the few endgame clears. Especially in comparison to the MMOs named above, which give you mounts, pets and appearance items for nearly every boss you kill.

Skeleton polymorph is a quest, the werewolf hunter hat is a dungeon walk in, dwarven spider pet is a quest, thieves guild costume is a quest, psijic costume items are quest, tons of furniture and dyues are achievement bound. There are things like the soulshriven skin from klilling Molag in the sewers (and a cool dye). There is a lot of stuff out there. Not as much as WoW but in WoW they are a bit different and often tied to time periods.

Pets accumulate in ESO. I've never bought one and I see to have 40 or 50 of them at this point. You get handed pets and costume items like confetti for just walking into some places.

There are a bunch of quite cool in game skins from dungeons and the like (eg vet cauldron, vet depths of malatar) but achievement mounts are definitely in short supply. It always struck me as odd that they didn't throw in basic guar, camel, senche etc for zone completions of places like Murkmire, Alik'R and Elsweyr as well as the fancy achievement ones and the event ticket mounts.

Abelon

etchedpixels wrote: »

Abelon wrote: »

Oh an also there is hardly anything cool looking you can earn in the game itself, unless through events or the few endgame clears. Especially in comparison to the MMOs named above, which give you mounts, pets and appearance items for nearly every boss you kill.

Skeleton polymorph is a quest, the werewolf hunter hat is a dungeon walk in, dwarven spider pet is a quest, thieves guild costume is a quest, psijic costume items are quest, tons of furniture and dyues are achievement bound. There are things like the soulshriven skin from klilling Molag in the sewers (and a cool dye). There is a lot of stuff out there. Not as much as WoW but in WoW they are a bit different and often tied to time periods.

Pets accumulate in ESO. I've never bought one and I see to have 40 or 50 of them at this point. You get handed pets and costume items like confetti for just walking into some places.

There are a bunch of quite cool in game skins from dungeons and the like (eg vet cauldron, vet depths of malatar) but achievement mounts are definitely in short supply. It always struck me as odd that they didn't throw in basic guar, camel, senche etc for zone completions of places like Murkmire, Alik'R and Elsweyr as well as the fancy achievement ones and the event ticket mounts.

I can agree about pets, I also have a bunch despite never buying them separately (though I genuinely don't remember where they came from, so). Costumes and outfit pieces are alright, could be more, could also be less, I won't complain. Mounts are in very short supply though.

And it's all relative. I don't know much about WoW, but I know how much more FFXIV gives in that regard. And it's... much... much more.

I'm not even asking for Crate level mounts to drop in the game. I'd be perfectly happy with "bland", effectless stuff. Like you said, basic mount types for their appropriate zones, a few more horses with armour, that kind of thing. I never use the fancy ones anyways, but I refuse to pay crowns for a Guar or an armored horse.